Conservatives

As exit polls for the European Parliament elections put opposition New Democracy firmly in the lead over ruling SYRIZA in Greece, the conservative party also appeared to be trouncing the leftists in regional elections, also held on Sunday, along with the municipal ballot.

Greece's main party leaders cast their vote on Sunday's triple elections, in a poll widely seen as a vote of confidence in the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Forty party lists are running for Greece's 21 European Parliament seats. For the EU elections, the country is considered as one constituency, so political parties present single tickets for the entire country.

Opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday called on young voters and former New Democracy supporters to back the conservatives at Sunday's elections for European Parliament, and regional and local government, so that they could "write a new page" in Greece's history.

"Theresa May said she will present a new bold offer to lawmakers with an improved package of measures in a final attempt to get the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Bill through parliament before she leaves office.", wrote Reuters, quoting an article in The Sunday Times newspaper.

By George Gilson

PM Alexis Tsipras and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis exchanged vitriolic and below-the-belt attacks over issues ranging from economic policy to their private vacations to how their families made their fortunes.

British MPs today adopted a government proposal to postpone Brexit, as well as a new vote on the exit treaty agreed by Theresa May and Brussels, the France press said.
 

Nikos Tachiaos has announced that he will run for the post of Thessaloniki mayor in the local elections scheduled for May.

The 56-year-old engineer is backed by opposition New Democracy. 

ND spokesperson Maria Spyraki announced the conservative party's endorsement of his candidacy on Monday.

Tachiaos served as a deputy mayor of Thessaloniki in 1995.

Greek officials say lenders have agreed to scrap a major round of government funding cuts planned for next year after the country outperformed budget targets set to help protect public finances.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the government received "very positive news from Brussels" on Thursday, when bailout creditor representatives met to discuss Greeces draft 2019 budget.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told leaders of her party that she will not seek re-election as chairwoman at a conference in early December, a senior senior party source said.

Despite stepping down from her role as chairwoman of the Christian Democrats, Merkel maintains that she will remain as chancellor. 

The shock decision comes after senior members of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) pressured their leader in to waiving the post of foreign minister. 

It comes after Angela Merkel's conservatives and the SPD agreed to form a coalition government on Wednesday.